According to Christine Cool, area licensing manager of confectionery manufacturer Perfetti van Melle, brand licensing opens a whole new universe of possibilities, something it has done for the company’s Chupa Chups brand.

Cool told BakeryandSnacks the Chupa Chups-maker has been involved in developing licenses for its brands for almost 20 years, and has had a lot of success in this area.

The Italian-Dutch multinational company has collaborated with numerous manufacturers, such as Greencore and Unilever, to open new avenues for its core products, including Chupa Chups, Airheads, Mentos, Brooklyn and Smint.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for…

Following Perfetti van Melle’s success in licensing Chupa Chups; the company is now using the same strategies to license its other brands.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for …

“We have done a deal with Unilever to produce a popsicle using Airheads’ flavour profile for the US market, as well as to produce Chupa Chups ice cream,”​ she said.

The company is on the verge of announcing other new licensing deals, including a Chupa Chups donut for the UK market and other bakery items, like muffins and cookies.

“We’re seeing a great response from companies interested in using our products,” ​she said. “We like to be alert about what it is our consumers want, so we can give it to them while still being loyal to our brands identify.”​

Wealth of potential

“Licensing offers a wealth of potential because it is a new way of doing marketing with your brand,”​ Cool told us while exhibiting at Brand Licensing Europe 2017, held in London, UK, last month.

“It opens new ways for consumers to interact with your brand and experience it, and it creates more loyalty.​

“I think what sets us apart in the licensing area is that we put a lot of creative effort behind our brands. It is not just about using the core identity of the brand, it’s also about creating style guides with designers from many different markets, and tapping into the trends of today to keep evolving with our consumers,”​ said Cool.

Happy birthday

Earlier this year – to celebrate its 60th​ anniversary – Perfetti van Melle partnered with Greencore, a global manufacturer of convenience foods, to produce celebration cakes under the Chupa Chups brand for the UK and Irish markets.

The colourful cake is presented with 12 strawberry flavoured Chupa Chups lollipops and was rolled out in ASDA stores in March.

First launched in 1958, Chupa Chups has become part of popular culture and a generic name for round lollipops in many countries.

The brand’s use of colorful imagery and its flavor profile lends itself well to extensions outside of the core confectionery area.

Style icon

The lollipop has even inspired a fashion line through a collaboration with fashion duo Fyodor Golan.

The London-based designers are known for their fresh and expressive approach to womenswear, infusing geometrical silhouettes with a sportswear aesthetic.

“Design has always been a key asset for Chupa Chups and it was fascinating to see how they have made an artistic conception by fusing the brand icons with surprising materials and disruptive shapes,” ​said Cool.